2Active Design

So you have enough marketing knowledge to know that you need a website, and the logic that you also need someone to make it. So when you go online to search for one, you will have several options of finding someone to design your site:

• A site where you post your budget and various studios bid for it
• A reputable design studio
• An individual freelancer
• A “do it yourself” solution

Lowest Bidder

Some have had success with the bidding sites. These do require a lot of effort on your part to communicate what you want in your ad. However, most of the designers that participate in these directories have intermediate skills at best. Otherwise they would have their own site where they could show off their work rather than depending on a pre-built system. You might also find it to be a waste of time since you’ll have to wait until your bid is over rather than receiving an instantaneous and educated response from a reputable studio or a freelancer.

Overhead

A design studio usually involves several different people. This tells you that they make enough to earn their salary for that time. However, their prices will also be inflated since they need to cover the salary for everyone working there. Nonetheless, studios are great for large companies that can afford them but if you need a deal with more value and more flexibility you might want to consider a freelancer.

Hit or Miss

Under no circumstances should you trust a freelance web designer that has no portfolio and no work to show. If you find a designer that has a portfolio, look at it carefully and also go ahead and visit the sites themselves to make sure they are up to par. The advantage of a freelancer is that they have flexible hours and can take your calls at any time. In addition, they usually do not rent office space or pay salesmen, so your cost is going to be lower, while you could still get the same level of work you would get from a studio. Of course this is assuming you find an experienced designer that you can trust. Even if they are fresh out of design college, this does not mean that they are ready to build good websites.

However, if you do find an experienced freelancer, and they always act professional every time you communicate, you also have the added advantage that they will stay in the business as long as you need them. In studios people will come and go. The financial crisis caused many jobs to be lost at studios, but freelancers remained steady as tough times require more efficiency. The low overhead of a freelancer translates into flexibility and staying power.

All of these are options and they could all be successful if you find the right people. The safe thing to do is to ask for a portfolio of work.